William w



(No Modl.)

W. W, SHAILER. FLANGE FOR PIANO ACTIONS.

No. 473,241. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM WV. SHAILER, OF IVORYTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THECOMSTOCK, CHENEY & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FLANGE FOR PIANO-ACTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,241, dated April19, 1892.

Application filed June 8, 1891. Serial No. 395,514- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. SHAILER, of Ivoryton, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inFlanges for Piano-Actions; and I do hereby declarethe following, whentaken in connection withaccompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-- Figure 1, an end View of the rail, showing thebutt-flange, the damper-lever flange, and the jack-lever flange appliedthereto; Fig. 2, a front View of a portion of the rail, showing abutt-flange applied thereto; Fig. 3, a vertical central section throughthe butt-flange and a corresponding portion of the rail; Fig. 4, aperspective view of the flange looking from the rear side; Fig. 5, aperspective View of the flange looking upon the front or face; Fig. 6, avertical section cutting in a plane between the two jaws and on the faceof the body; Fig. 7, a vertical central section of the flange, cuttingthrough the jaws and Fig. 8, a modification in the formation of thegroove H, the last five figures being enlarged.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of theflanges secured to the supporting-rail of a piano-action and which formthe pivot-point for the moving parts hung to the rail, such as thehammer, damper, and the jack-lever. Heretofore in some cases theseflanges have been made from metal, the base being adapted to be securedto the rail and extending to form one jaw, while a second piece of metalforms a companion jaw, between which two jaws the pivot-pins are clampedby means of a screw through one jaw into the other jaw. The two jawsmake a complication of parts and add materially to the cost of theflange. Again, as these flanges are secured to the rail by a screwpassing through the body of the flange into the rail the head of thescrew bears upon the metal around the screw-hole through the body of theflange. It is very difficult to make the bearing of this screw soperfect upon the metal that the flange will not in many cases be thrownout of its proper plane that is to say, if the screw-head bears harderupon one side than it does upon the opposite side the tendency is togive to the flange a twist and such twist throws the flange out of itsproper plane, and consequently changes the plane of movement of theparts swinging on the pivot. This is a serious objection in the use offlanges thus secured to the rail and causes much difficulty and labor inthe adjustment of the action.

The object of my invention is to construct a flange in a single piece ofmetalthat is, in which the jaws are both integral with the body-as wellas to overcome the difficulty occasioned by displacement under theoperation of securing the flange to the rail; and it consists in theconstruction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in theclaims.

A represents the rail of the action; B, the butt-flange to which thehammer is hung; C, the flange to which the damper-lever is hung, and Dthe flange to which the jack-lever is hung, these flanges all beingsecured to the rail.

The flange consists of a body E, this body being a flat plate, and isconstructed with a groove F transversely across its face, whichcorresponds to the rib G, formed on the rail and so as to locate theflange upon the rail. The ribs running longitudinally of the rail andparallel with the pivots of the flanges serve to locate the flanges,with their pivots, in the proper relation to the rail, and, as usual, inthe attachment of flanges to the rail. Upon the out or face side of theflange a groove H is formed transversely across the face of the body,which may be of very slight depth; but the width of the groove must beless than the diameter of the head of the screw or the washer placedunder the head, and for the purpose hereinafter described.

I and J represent the two jaws. These project from the outer end of thebody, but both are cast integral with the body. They are 95 preferablynarrower than the width of the ward and from each other, so thatthey mayproduce the desired clamping eitect.

Transversely through the two jaws in the slot a pivot-seat L is formed,adapted to receive the pivot, and at right angles to the pivot-seats ascrew M is introduced, the tendency or power of which is to draw the twojaws toward each other.

On the outsides of the jaws, at each end of the pivot-seats, a boss N isformed integral with the jaws, one half-being on one jaw and the otherhalf on the other jaw. These bosses project slightly so as to form atransverse bearing for the parts to be hinged to the flan go withoutcontact of those parts'upon the sur- The f t O he bo se arer n edtse asto s r t m face of the sides of the jaws.

s h ic h e a se e n F s- 6- The pivot Q- (see Ffig. 2,). is made fromwire,

and, as usual for these pivots, it is placed between the two jaws, so asto project at opposite ends, and is clamped therein by means of thescrewM, so that the pivot ,willbe firmly held.

Through the body of the flange, and preferably centrally in the grooveH, a. hole P is formed, through which the attachiug screw maybeintroduced.

The flanges are applied as seen in Figs. 1,

I 2, and 3, and, as usual, in placing the flanges tact of the washerwiththeflange at the right or left. Consequently the force of the screwis applied in the direction of the length of the flange that is, atright angles to the pivot-sand as thefla-nge ,liesflat upon its seat ontherail there can be no,'ten de1icy to turn or twist the flange, asthere would be did the washer take a bearing entirely arou'nd-'that is,so as tobear totheright and left. If there be any irregularity inthebearin g of the washer upon the flange, it will be equalized, as thebearing is but at two p oin ts,vand consequently no twistin gor otherstrain than a direct bear avoiding the transverse twisting of the flangebefore mentioned,

By making 'body of the flange, and whereby the flange the two jawsintegral with the with the two jaws may be cast complete with the slotor space between the jaws and the seat also formed in the process ofcasting, not only is there a very great saving in the cost of productionof the flange over that in which the jaws are made separate, but the twojaws are always in their proper relation to each other and by nopossibility can bedisplaced or deranged as to their relative position.

Constructing the flanges with the projecting bosses at the two sidesforms a most perfect bearing in the direction of the length ofthepivots' for the parts hinged to the jaws and with but a slight actualcontact between the flanges and the parts hung thereto.

I have represented the. groove H as termed pp s e, the g oo 1 t e ot eide Qt th body but the position of the groovel l-isimmaterial withrelation to the groove ,which corresponds to the rib formed on the rail,vThe groove on the rail maybe dispensed with, as it may bein flangesasheretofore constructed, The grooveGis therefore not essentiattotheinvention. 4

Instead of making the groove H to extend entirely ac os he a e. of t eflangez isenly necessary thatthe length of the groove, be

greater than the diameter of the headof the screw or thewasher as, forillustration, the

groove may be an elongated recess on the face side of the fla nge,i asseen Fig. 8.. .The a ge may e m de with the jaws-integ a as described,without the groove ,I. that;is tov say, the groove H may be omittedwitheut detracting from the advantages of; thetwoin-s vtegral jaws. Thegroove Hmaybe employed in flanges having one jaw made separate from theplate, as before deseribede-that is to say, the groove. H maybe employedto an equal advantage in flanges of other construction; Clhe bosses N atthe sidesof the jaws.

may be employed to advantage in theusual construction otmetal flanges inwhich the jaws are entirely separate. j, is

Iclaimi 1. The herein-described metal flange for piano-actions,consisting of the body E, constructedwith the two, jaws J, I, bothformed integral with the body, but with a space lee.- tween the twojaws, combined with a screw extending through one jaw into the other andby which-the two jaws are adapted to be clamped upon the pivot-pin, thesaid two jaws constructed, with a projecting boss N- at each side, thebosses being formed partly on one jaw and the remainder on the other,substanl tially as described. 1 I l i v 2. In ajmetal flange forpiano-actions the jawswhich clamp thepivot-pin, thesaid-two. jawscOnstructedwith a projecting boss Nfat partly on one jaw and partly on;the other jaw, substantiallyas described. 7

3. A flange for piano-actions,consisting of the body E, constructed witha transverse groove H, with a screw-hole through the body IOC their twosides, the said bosses being formed in the said groove, the width of thegroove less than the width of the bearing under the head of the screw,substantially as described.

4. A flange for piano-actions, the body E, constructed with a transversegroove H on its face, having a screw-hole P through the body in the saidgroove, combined with a screw through the said hole E, and aspring-washer R between the head of the screw and the body of theflange, the said washer taking its bearing upon opposite sides of thesaid groove, substantially as described.

5. A flange for piano-actions, consisting of the body E, constructedwith a transverse \VILLIAM YV. SHAILER.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC O. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELsEY.

